Kesler was carrying the puck into the offensive zone when he caught skates with Winnipeg's Jim Slater, who was given a two-minute minor for tripping. He was slow to get up and skated to the Vancouver bench under his own power to get attention from the team's medical staff before heading down the tunnel to the locker room.

Just a week or so ago, Kesler's name was included in major trade rumors after the Winter Olympics, where he missed some time with a hand injury after blocking a shot. He now heads to the sidelines to join 40-point scorer Daniel Sedin, who sustained a leg injury in the Heritage Classic on March 2. Vancouver's offense has clearly taken a hit. Kesler 's 40 points tie him with Daniel for second on the team behind Henrik Sedin's 41.